I’m not entirely sure how this film slipped under my radar for so long as it is exactly the kind of thing I enjoy, but I’m glad I caught it eventually.

There are three interlinked stories – all about the connections we make online, and the consequences.

In one, a couple (Paula Patton and Alexander Skaarsgard), ostensibly together but emotionally torn apart by the death of their child, have their identity stolen, and set out to find out who is responsible, with the prime suspect being the man who Cindy has connected with on an online forum for people who are bereaved.

Ben Boyd (Jonah Bobo), an outcast at his school, gets pranked by two schoolmates (Colin Ford and Aviad Bernstein), who create a fake online profile of a girl and fake a relationship with Ben, with disastrous consequences. Ben’s father Richard (Jason Bateman, great in a rare serious role) attempts to connect with Ben’s ‘girlfriend’ Jessica to see what might secrets his son was hiding, but in so doing finds himself becoming isolated from his wife.

The third story concerns a journalist (Andrea Riseborough) who is investigating a story about runaway teenage sex workers, who broadcast themselves committing indecent acts on the internet, but ends up getting too involved with the case of Kyle (Max Thieriot).

Each scenario demonstrates how online relationships can get in the way of real life relationships and cause people to disconnect from each other. At times the film is bleak – beyond bleak – and it doesn’t offer any easy answers or convenient endings – but it’s a stronger film for that. The characters are believable and in just under two hours, I came to care for a lot of them.

It’s a very relevant film with more and more people forging more and more relationships online to the expense of their real life connections – on countless occasions I have seen two people out for a meal or drink together, but both scrolling through their smartphones, and not actually speaking to each other.

In this drama/comedy, Kevin Costner plays Ernest ‘Bud’ Johnson, something of a lovable loser just trying to get through each day in Texico, New Mexico, where workers are losing their jobs, and there doesn’t seem to be much of a future. Since his wife walked out, Bud has been bringing up their 12 year old daughter Molly – but in truth, Molly is the adult in the relationship.

On election day 2004, Bud isn’t bothered about voting – despite Molly’s protestations that it’s his civic duty to vote, he decides to go and get drunk instead. Molly sneaks into the voting booth to try and use her father’s vote but is foiled when the machine power cuts out. The election, somewhat incredibly, comes down to just one vote – and because of Molly’s actions, that vote is none other than Bud’s. A frantic race to secure the presidency ensues as both the Republicans (led by the encumbent president Andrew Boone, played by Kelsey Grammer) and the Democrats (led by Donald Greenleaf, played by the late great Dennis Hopper) try to persuade Bud into voting for them. Each party is prepared to turn their back on their fundamental beliefs in order to secure Bud’s vote, while they search for an issue to campaign on that matters to Bud. The problem is that nothing much ever really has mattered to Bud…but maybe he’s going to start finding something to care about.

If you can get past the highly improbable premise, this is a very enjoyable movie. Kevin Costner is perfectly cast as slouch Bud, and Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper are also terrific. Stanley Tucci is the president’s Chief of Staff, and he is always a welcome addition to any cast.

I couldn’t help thinking about the flaws in the storyline – how can Bud ever have an anonymous vote when the whole country knows that his vote will choose the next president? Won’t he need protection as there will inevitably be people eager to exact revenge on him for picking who they feel to be wrong? However, if you can suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the movie for what it is, there’s plenty to enjoy. I’m sure many viewers might have a wry smile to themselves as both sides change their tune about several important issues in the belief that they are playing to Bud’s ethics. As a tv producer says, “This isn’t about politics, this is about television.”